Mehsud makes appearance: report

Amid conflicting reports about his death following prolonged illness, Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud made an appearance in a remote village in the country8217;s restive tribal region, witnesses have claimed. The militant commander was accorded a 8220;warm welcome8221; by people of his Mehsud tribe when he appeared in Saam village in South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan, the witnesses were quoted as saying by the media here. Pakistani and international media had earlier reported that Mehsud, who suffered from diabetes and hypertension, had died on Tuesday after lapsing into a coma. But Pakistani Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar and Mehsud8217;s family had denied the reports of his death. Tribesmen and Taliban fighters reportedly fired rocket launchers and automatic weapons when Mehsud appeared in Saam and was presented with a traditional turban.